438 people killed during Eid holidays travel: Report
Staff Correspondent
A total of 438 people were killed and 1,424 injured in accidents during the Eid holidays across the country on roads, railways and water routes.
Among them 407 people were killed and 1,398 injured in 399 road accidents while 24 people were killed and 21 injured in 18 railway crashes, and two crashes on water routes left seven people injured and five dead in 15 days -- from April 4 to 18 -- during the Eid rush.
Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh) informed this at a press briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Saturday.
Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the association, said due to the extended holidays, 20 per cent more people made trips this year than the estimate made by the association.He said the number of accidents and deaths saw 31.25 per cent and 24.08 per cent rise this year compared to the same period last year.
The speed of the vehicles has also increased due to the development of roads and highways across the country, the road accident monitoring cell said.
Around 7.5 per cent of total passengers travelled on motorcycles as the vehicle was free to use all roads and highways, along with the Padma Bridge.
The organisation prepared the data following media reports.
